Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Results tagged ‘ Votto trade rumor ’

This type of cluster-frack occasionally happens during this trade whisper time of the season when someone want to get that elusive scoop and be the primary media source as we go screaming towards the July 31st M L B non-waiver Trade Deadline.

It caught me totally off-guard in reference to an early Sunday rumor that the Cincinnati Reds were in some sort of discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays about possibly acquiring Rays hurler David Price.

A supposedly eagle-eyed individual saw something they felt dictated a informed and accurate Tweet/status update about a certain Reds slugger’s clean locker and they seemed to take a gambler’s chance that his hunch was a “solid fact”.

He was oh so wrong.

I quickly had 3 facts come into my own mind that struck down this trade rumor concerning Price and Votto. But around the M L B the rumor gained speedy legs and sprinted around the web not unlike Reds speedster Billy Hamilton around the G A B P diamond.

“Strike 1”: Votto is not entirely recovered from his early season quad situation. It might not be a daily occurrence or mild bother to him, but because of it any trade partner would want a 100% healthy player evaluation from their team medical staff before signing off on a player of Votto’s stature becoming their concern.

“Strike 2”: Votto has a ironclad no-trade clause in his contract and even if he was to change team colors, you might expect he would entertain a possible contract extension or fiscal reward from his new team to waive his no-trade, even if he was going to a contender for a possible 2014 World Series title.

“Strike 3”: This style of trade is not within the Rays usual wheelhouse of trade notions and baring the fact the team in January signed their current 1B James Loney to a 3-yr, $21 million contract, it lacks feasible plausibility unless Loney also was a trade piece heading to Cincy along with Price.

What should have been an honest visual to all is someone forgot the pure fact that Reds First Baseman Joey Votto is a minimalist and keeps a neat and tidy “work space”, especially during days when his Reds Manager Dusty Baker gives the Cincy mainstay the “day off”.

I know for a fact playing sports up into my mid-20’s, a fair amount of athletes do not have the “neat and tidy” gene within their game day clubhouse rituals.

In the end both “clean facts” were just a pair of trash trade rumors. How fast do you think they hit “delete” on their social media sites, then pulled down their Reds cap a little closer to their brow today.

Moral of this story: “Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy is your best friend when wanting to print anything, especially the truth”.

That and possibly thinking twice before hitting the “send” button.

Editorial Note:I could of posted all the Twitter posts that brought about this debacle, but decided they were already possibly being punished enough by other bloggers smelling their blood in the water.

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